CIRCUS ACTS: ARCHIE THE CLOWN (1830-1882) & ZENOBIA (1862-1883), Member’s of John Robinson's Circus.

Filmed on location at Redding Memorial Park.

Have you ever dreamed about being larger than life? Well, Archibald Campbell did too, and during his lifetime from 1830-1883. Campbell made his life public by becoming employed with the John Robinson Circus, as a circus clown under the stage name of Archie the Clown, while performing nationwide. There wasn't a Big Top tent or a sawdust arena that he didn't perform in during his lifetime. He was also a Civil War soldier fighting for the Union Army and was captured by the Confederate Army during the War of the Rebellion. Campbell served time as a prisoner at the deadliest military prison of its era... the Andersonville Prison. He was well-liked, and he enjoyed making people laugh, he was also known as a gentleman's clown, and his career was the stuff of legend and legacy as he made it into the International Circus Hall of Fame.

The next circus act was Archie the Clown's co-worker born Thomas Williams (1862-1883) who did daring stunts under his stage name as Zenobia in front of sold-out audience’s nationwide. His cause of death was horrific as you will find out more about Campbell and Williams in my newest video to date. No photographs of these men seem to exist at the time of publishing this video, hopefully, in the future that changes. Both circus performers died in Redding, California, and are buried at the Redding Memorial Park. Find out more in the video.

RESOURCES:

Archie Campbell - The Cincinatti Enquirer newspaper of Cincinatti, Ohio, October 29, 1877

Elephants and Things - The Cincinnati Enquirer newspaper of Cincinatti, Ohio, Nov 26, 1880

About Elephants - The Daily Inter Ocean newspaper of Chicago, Illinois, December 14, 1880

Archie Campbell - The Cowley County Monitor newspaper of Winifred, Kansas, May 21, 1881

Robinson’s Circus Route - The Chico Weekly Enterprise newspaper of Chico, July 28, 1882

Low Low Not Dead - The Truckee Republican newspaper of Truckee, August 5, 1882

Circus Clowns - The Weekly Butte Record newspaper of Chico, August 5, 1882

Death of Archie Campbell - The Daily Nonpareil newspaper of Council, August 13, 1882

Amusements - The Cincinatti Enquirer newspaper of Cincinatti, Ohio, August 8, 1882

A Clowns Remains - The Weekly Butte Record newspaper of Chico, January 27, 1883

The Sacramento Daily Union newspaper of Sacramento, February 3, 1883

A Sad Death - The Tocsin newspaper of Red Bluff, August 25, 1883

Zenobia's Frightfull Death - The Weekly Butte Record newspaper of Chico, August 25, 1883

The Show - The Republican Free Press newspaper of Redding, August 25, 1883

Foolhardy Feats - The Napa Register newspaper of Napa, September 7, 1883

A Small Salary - The Weekly Butte Record newspaper of Chico, September 8, 1883

The Dead Circus Man - The Chico Weekley Enterprise newspaper of Chico, August 31, 1883

The Sutter County Farmer newspaper of  Yuba City, August 31, 1883

The Dead Actor - The Weekly Butte Record newspaper of Chico, September 1, 1883

The Placer Argus newspaper of Auburn, September 6, 1883

Foolhardy Feats - The Napa Register newspaper of Napa, September 7, 1883

A Monument - The Weekly Butte Record newspaper of Chico, September 16, 1883

The Free Press newspaper of Redding, August 9, 1890

The Napa Register newspaper of Napa, August 29, 1890

Old And Present Times - The Democrat-Reporter newspaper of Linden, Alabama, May 21, 1946